In 2010, Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke bummed Milwaukee fans when a solo show planned for Turner Hall was canceled. But he's making it up to them this May 29 when Bloc Party performs at the Pabst Theater, behind its fourth album released last year, aptly titled "Four."

LeAnn Rimes

When LeAnn Rimes appeared at the Miller Lite Oasis on Wednesday night, she was some distance — both in years and in miles — from the proto-Taylor Swift she might've been in the middle to late 1990s. | July 4, 2013»Read Full Article(8)

Anyone wondering where Milwaukee's loudest party was Wednesday night only needed to listen for the deafening screams that emerged from the Marcus Amphitheater every time Luke Bryan swiveled his hips.

As the silhouette of country music's southern-fried frat boy appeared above the stage, the capacity crowd erupted. With fists pumping and beers and voices raised, this audience was primed to celebrate. Across a ready-made set of summer melodies and feel-good vibes, the Georgia native was happy to oblige. | July 4, 2013»Read Full Article

British singer-songwriter Alex Clare took a few minutes before his headlining show at Summerfest tonight to give an acoustic performance for Tap Pre-Show. Instead of cramming into a noisy room backstage, Clare wanted to do something fun. Looking for some nice scenery and a quiet location, he recommended the paddleboats right near the U.S. Cellular Connection Stage, where he will perform at 10 p.m.

After signing some waivers and snapping a few photos with fans passing by, we went out in paddleboats and recorded in the middle of the lagoon. This is the second take, where he performs "Three Hearts." | July 3, 2013»Read Full Blog Post

"American Made Movie" chronicles the decline of American manufacturing — and the efforts of some companies that could signal strategies for reversing the decline.

Before its theatrical release in August, the documentary is hitting the road on a "national economic bus tour" with visits to more than 30 states, including one to Milwaukee on Thursday with a 4:15 p.m. screening at the Landmark Oriental Theatre, 2230 N. Farwell Ave. | July 3, 2013»Read Full Article

Local electric guitar whiz Greg Koch called in a bunch of favors for the Greg Koch Band's latest album, "Plays Well With Others." Guest contributors range from New Orleans funk musician Jon Cleary to Paul Barrere from acclaimed genre-blending rock band Little Feat to Leonard Cohen's musical director, Roscoe Beck. There's also an appearance from blues guitarist and singer Joe Bonamassa, who is so popular he sold out the 2,500-seat Riverside Theater this year.

But the most important friend on Koch's new album is closer to home: John Sieger, frontman for local Americana band Semi-Twang. "Plays Well With Others" marks the first time these two local music heavyweights, who have 24 albums between them, have joined forces. Koch wrote the bulk of the music, while Sieger handled the lyrics and sang on all the tracks except one. "I got possessive," Sieger said, half-jokingly. They talked about the collaboration in advance of their show Friday night at Summerfest. | July 3, 2013»Read Full Article

When to see him: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, K-Nation / Cascio Interstate Music Stage

Fest experience: Hunt, 21, went to his first Summerfest when he was 4 or 5 and has played there five times since 2007 with different bands, including Trapper Schoepp and the Shades. | July 3, 2013»Read Full Article

Like a Victorian naturalist, Emilie Clark has made a careful study of her subject, complete with field notes, writing, drawings and paintings. Her subject? Her own life, as a woman, an organism and a thinker.

Inspired by the life and works of Ellen Henrietta Richards, who introduced the term “ecology” into the English language and who was the first female student and instructor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Clark has embodied Richards’ century-old research methods and practices during the last year or so. | July 3, 2013»Read Full Blog Post

I don’t know about you, but I am routinely inundated with ideas for tempting do-it-yourself projects. Let’s just take a quick peek at my Pinterest page. Yep, there’s a project to turn a small toddler T-shirt into a dress, to turn an old dresser into a “signature” piece of furniture, to turn old furniture into garden ornaments, or turn chipped teacups into bird feeders. And that’s not to mention the endless macrame, quilting, painting, antiquing, jewelry-making and paper-making efforts that look so simple and fun. | July 3, 2013»Read Full Blog Post

There aren't many things in this life that you can count on, but you can always count on this: If it's Fourth of July Eve, there's a big boom in Milwaukee. The U.S. Bank Fireworks bring the ooohs and aaahs starting at 9:30 tonight off Veterans Park over Lake Michigan. You'll be able to see them all over town, even if you didn't camp out to get a front-row seat.